Ferrous alloy composition



Patented Dec. 12, 1939 PATENT OFFICE FERROUS ALLOY COMPOSITION Joseph V. Emmons, Shaker Heights, Ohio, as-

signor to The Cleveland Twist Drill Company,

Cleveland, Ohio No Drawing. Original application April 22, 1937,

Serial No. 138,474.

Divided and this application October 26, 1938, Serial No. 237,141

6 Claims. (01. 75-128) In my prior Patents Nos. 1,998,954, 1,998,955 and 1,998,956 there are disclosed alloy compositions of the class in which tungsten and molybdenum are principal alloying elements and in which tungsten and molybdenum bear to each other a certain defined proportional relationship. The present invention is in effect an extension of the teachings in these prior patents particularly with respect to variations in certain of the primary alloying constituents, whereby alloy compositions particularly suited for certain classes of work and rather distinct from the compositions claimed in my said prior patents are produced.

It is among the objects of my invention, therefore, to provide alloy compositions of the same general character as those disclosed in my aboveidentified prior patents but which, due to variations in the amounts of certain of the alloying elements used, are better suited for certain purposes than the compositions claimed in such prior patents. Other objects of my invention will appear as the description proceeds,

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail some approved combination of ingredients embodying my invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but a few of the various forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

My invention may be, as above indicated, stated in general terms as comprising the discovery that certain variations, from the composition or compositions claimed in my aforementioned prior patents, result in alloys particularly useful for certain purposes; more specifically, the present invention relates particularly to variations in the amount of vanadium and to the use of specified amounts of additional alloying elements such as nickel.

In accordance with my present invention, an alloy may contain the following elements within the percentages given, via:

Per cent Carbon about 0.15 to about 1.60 Manganese none to about 4.00 Silicon a trace to about 3.00 Chromium about 3.25 to about 6.00 Tungsten about 8.00 to about 20.00 Vanadium none to about 6.00 Molybdenum about 0.96 to about 5.60 Nickel about 0.10 to about 10.00

the remainder being substantially iron together with such other alloying elements and impurities as are sometimes found in alloys of the character to which this invention relates.

A somewhat narrower range of percentages within which the several alloying elements may be present in compositions according to my invention is as follows:

Per cent Carbon about 0.25 to about 0.50 Manganese about 0.05 to about 1.00 Silicon about 0.20 to about 2.20 Chromium about 3.37 to about 4.98 Tungsten about 10.32 to about 19.00 Vanadium none to about 2.50 Molybdenum about 1.24 to about 5.32 Nickel about 1.00 to about 6.00

the remainder being substantially iron together with such other alloying elements and impurities as are sometimes found in compositions of the character to which this invention relates.

A range of percentages within which the various alloying elements may be present in some of the alloys in accordance with the present invention and which have been found to possess particularly desirable properties is as follows:

- Per cent Carbon about 0.30 to about 0.45 Manganese 0.05 to about 0.50 Silicon 0.27 to about 1.00 Chromium 3.42 to about 4.73 Tungsten 11.00 to about 16.00 Molybdenum 1.32 to about 4.62 Nickel 1.50 to about 4.00 Vanadium none to about 0.45

the remainder being substantially iron together with such other alloying elements and impurities as are sometimes found in compositions of the character to which this invention relates.

In the following table are included several varieties or specific examples of alloy compositions falling within the foregoing ranges of percentages and arranged in the order of their carbon content:

Example No. Mn S1 C1 Mo V Ni Pct. Pct. Pct. Pct. Pct. Pct. 30 3. 25 9. 00 1. 50 None 1. 50 40 4.00 16.00 3. 25 None 2. 00 50 3. 50 12.00 2. 75 None 75 1. 24 4. 20 14. 08 l. 65 43 l4 1.11 3.92 11.68 1.46 .45 1. 29 3. 71 ll. 54 l. 80 None 1. 25 3. 75 10. 00 1. 75 None 3 5'.) l. 20 3. 90 10. 32 2. 49 07 1.28 4.10 12.59 1.89 .06 40 5. 00 18. 00 3. 50 None 4. 00 11 1. 40. 30 .40 4.00 16.00 3.00 4.00 1.00

The steels listed in theabove table of specific examples cover wide fields of usefulness. In general, it may be pointed out that the lower carbon content; for example, those containing .50% carbon or below, will be found particularly useful for use in dies, especially dies for hot formingmetals. The higher carbon ranges in addition to being useful for some types of die work have their principal field of usefulness as cutting tools.

Those steels containing nickel will be found to require somewhat lower hardening temperatures than those which do not contain nickel; also those steels containing nickel will be found to resist softening at tempering temperatures above those at which the nickel-free steels are softened.

The steels in which vanadium is commercially absent may be made with a substantially lower alloy cost than those steels containing vanadium. It is, in general, known that vanadium in steels of this character reduces the tendency towards grain growth at high hardening temperatures. It should, however, be observed that for certain purposes, particularly in die steels a coarsegrained structure has sometimes been found desirable.

As previously indicated, compositions of' the general class disclosed herein are similar to the general class disclosed in my prior patents such as Nos. 1,998,954, 1,998,955 and 1,998,956 with respect to the tungsten and molybdenum content, i. 6., the amount of molybdenum in the compositions may be broadly stated as comprising about 12% to about 28% of the amount of tungsten present. A somewhat narrower range of proportional relationships between tungsten and molybdenum contemplates the use of molybdenum in amounts from 15% to 25% of the amount of molybdenum present. The broad range of from 12% to 28%, above referred to, may be conveniently divided into the following groups, viz.: 12% to 15%, 15% to 25% and 25% to 28%. A proportional relationship of 20% is preferred.

Attention is directed to the fact that certain of the examples included in the foregoing description of my invention may be readily nitrided.

Throughout the foregoing description several tables have been given indicating the ranges of percentages within which the various alloying elements may be present in an alloy composition according to the present invention. The specific examples which have been given indicate in general terms the proportional relationship within such broad ranges which should be maintained between the several alloying elements for best results. The tables giving the broad ranges of composition should, therefore, be construed as indicating merely the limits within which the various alloying elements may be present but not as indicating any proportional relationship between such elements.

As is well known to those familiar with the art, any specification for a particular alloy composition must permit of certain variations due to the fact that in making up the composition, it is extremely difllcult, if not impossible, to commercially produce a composition exactly like a given specification. It is to be understood, therefore, that throughout the description and claims where I have used figures to denote definite amounts and ranges, such amounts and ranges are to be construed to include the range of variations usually permissible in making up alloy compositions to given specifications.

It should be noted that where the term none is used to denote the absence of certain elements. or where an alloy composition is indicated as being free" from any one or more of these elements, the construction to be placed upon these terms is a commercial absence of the elements in question. An alloying element such as those referred to herein may be considered as commercially absent if present in amounts less than 0.10%.

It is understood that in the compositions specifled herein. minor amounts of other alloying elements such as titanium, tantalum, columbium, uranium, boron, zirconium, copper. aluminium. etc., as well as minor amounts of impurities such as sulphur, phosphorous, arsenic, tin, etc., may be included and when the phrase the remainder being substantially all iron is used, it is intended to include minor amounts of such elements which, for example, may find their way into the composition by being present in the raw materials such as scrap used in making up the composition.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 138,474 filed April 22, 1937 now Patent No. 2,147,120 granted February 14, 1939.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of those explained, change being made as regards the materials employed, provided the ingredients stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated ingredients be employed.

1, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

l. A ferrous alloy comprising:

Per cent Carbon from about 0.15 to about 1.60 Manganese from an effective amount to about 4.00

Silicon from an effective amount to about 3.00

Chromium from about 3.25 to about 6.00 Tungsten from about 8.00 to about 20.00 Nickel from about 0.10 to about 10.00 Molybdenum from 12 to 28 of the amount of tungsten present and the remainder being substantially all iron.

2. A ferrous alloy comprising:

Per cent Carbon from about 0.25 to about 0.50 Manganese from about 0.05 to about 1.00 Silicon from about 0.20 to about 220 Chromium from about 3.37 to about 4.98 Tungsten from about 10.32 to about 19.00 Nickel from about 1.00 to about 6.00 Molybdenum from 15 to 25 of the amount of tungsten present and the remainder being substantially all iron.

3. A ferrous alloy comprising:

- Per cent Carbon from about 0.30 to about 0.45 Manganese from about 0.05 to about 0.50 Silicon from about 0.27 to about 1.30 Chromium from about 3.42 to about 4.73 Tungsten from about 11.00 to about 16.00 Nickel from about 1.50 to about 4.00 Molybdenum from 15 to 25 of the amount of tungsten present and the remainder being substantially all iron.

4. A ferrous alloy comprising:

Per cent Carbon from about 0.30 to about 0.45 Manganese from about 0.05 to about 0.50 Silicon from about 0.27 to about 1.30 Chromium from about 3.42 to about 4.73 Tungsten from about 11.00 to about 16.00 Nickel from about 1.50 to about 4.00 Molybdenum about 20 2,183,014 3 b! the amount of tungsten present and the reand the remainder being substantially all iron.

mainder being substantially all iron. 7 A ferrous a oy consisting of:

5. A ferrous alloy consisting of: Per cent I Per cent Carb about 5 Manganese about 0.30 5 Carb out 0.40 s i about 0 50 Manganese out 0.30 Chromium about 3,50 Si ic Tungsten a.bout 12.00 Chr m about 51.00 Molybdenum "about 2.75 10 Tungsten out 16.00 Nickel bout 10 M1YbdPmm abmlt 325 and the remainder being substantially all iron.

Nickel about 2.00 JOSEPH V. EMMONS. 

